This working paper was prepared in connection with the conduct of the Design Thinking Olympics, a nationwide initiative of the Institute for Labor Studies (ILS) as part of the celebration of its 30th founding anniversary in 2017. The ILS is the policy research arm of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) with a mandate to assist DOLE in its research and labor policy analysis needs, as well as to seek novel and innovative ways in policymaking and policy implementation, among others. Believing in their potential to effect meaningful change on the ground given their proximity to DOLE’s stakeholders, the ILS has partnered with select DOLE Regional Offices in introducing the process of design thinking into day-to-day operations of DOLE’s frontline offices, including program implementation.
